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Chapter13
第十三章
"I HOPE my dear," said Mr. Bennet to his wife as they were at breakfast the next morning, "that you have ordered a good dinner today, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party."
“亲爱的，我希望今天的晚饭你能叫厨师准备得丰盛一些，”在第二天清晨吃早饭时，班纳特先生跟妻子说，“因为我有理由认为我们家要有人来啦。”
"Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in, and I hope my dinners are good enough for her. I do not believe she often sees such at home."
“你说是谁要来了，亲爱的？我压根儿不知道有谁会来，除了夏洛特·卢卡斯有时碰巧来串串门，我觉得我平时的饭菜便足能叫她满意了。我相信她在她家是不会常吃到这样可口的饭菜的。”
"The person of whom I speak, is a gentleman and a stranger."
“我说的这个人是位先生，又是个生客。”
Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled. -- "A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure. Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley. -- But -- good lord! how unlucky! there is not a bit of fish to be got today. Lydia, my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill, this moment."
班纳特太太的眼里闪出亮光：“一位先生，一位生客！那一定是宾格莱先生。哦，我真高兴再见到宾格莱先生。不过——天呀！真糟糕！今天连一点儿鱼也买不着。丽迪雅，我的宝贝，给妈妈按按铃。我必须现在就叫希尔去准备。”
"It is not Mr. Bingley," said her husband; "it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life."
“这人可不是宾格莱先生，”班纳特先生说，“此人我到现在还从来没有见过。”
This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once.
这让全家人都吃了一惊，他的妻子和五个女儿都急着向班纳特先生询问，使他颇感得意。
After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained.
在逗弄了一番她们的好奇心之后，班纳特先生这样解释道：
"About a month ago I received this letter, and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."
“大约是一个月以前，我收到此人的一封来信，两个星期前我写了回信，因为我觉得这件事比较棘手，应早一点给予关注才是。这封信是我的表侄科林斯先生写来的，在我死了以后，他可以在任何时候把你们赶出这所房子。”
"Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it."
“啊！亲爱的，”班纳特太太喊道，“一听你说这话我就受不了，请不要再提这个倒霉的家伙。你自己的家产不能由自家的孩子来继承，这真是这个世界上最最难以忍受的事情。我要是你，肯定早就会想尽办法解决这个问题了。”
Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason; and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
吉英和伊丽莎白试图向她解释这一关于继承权的事。她们俩以前也曾试着这样做过，可是一提起它，班纳特太太便失去了理智；她喋喋不休、愤愤不平地抱怨着这件事的不合理性：把家产从五个女儿手里活生生地夺走，而去给了一个与她们毫不相干的人。
"It certainly is a most iniquitous affair," said Mr. Bennet, "and nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn. But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little softened by his manner of expressing himself."
“这的确是不公道，”班纳特先生说，“什么也不能洗刷掉科林斯先生在继承浪博恩产业上的罪过。不过，你要是愿意听一听他的这封信，听听他表达自己的那种方式，你也许就不会那么生气了。”
"No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it was very impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father did before him?"
“不，那绝对不可能！我觉得他根本就不该写信给你，这简直是假慈悲。我平生就恨这些假朋友。他为什么就不能像他父亲生前那样，跟你公开地吵个不休呢？”
"Why, indeed, he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will hear."
“哦，真的，他对于在这件事上如何尽孝道，似乎还做过一番考虑呢。下面你们就来听听这封信吧。”
